The Korea Herald

‘Libya funded Sarkozy 2007 poll campaign’

May 4, 2012

TUNIS (AFP) ― Moamer Kadhafi’s regime funded Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 poll campaign, lawyers for former Libyan premier Baghdadi al-Mahmudi said Thursday, as the French president dismissed it as a ploy to derail his bid for relection.“Moamer Kadhafi, his regime and the officials who worked with him financed Sarkozy’s election campaign in 2007,” lawyer Bechir Essed told reporters in Tunis, where Mahmudi is detained, mentioning that 50 million euros ($65 million) changed hands.Essed’s claims came aft
China opens door to ending Chen crisis with study offer

May 4, 2012

Beijing says activist Chen can apply to study abroadBEIJING (AFP) -- China said Friday that blind activist Chen Guangcheng can apply to study abroad, offering a possible resolution to a crisis that erupted when he escaped house arrest and fled to the U.S. embassy.The apparent concession came after Chen said he was in “great danger” and urged China‘s government to honor guarantees on his safety, and after he phoned U.S. lawmakers in a dramatic appeal for help to leave the country.Chen, a campaign
Hungry lion goes after baby wearing zebra colors, in vain

May 4, 2012

A video of a lioness trying feverishly scratching and clawing at a baby behind a thick glass is amusing millions online. In the video, the apparently hungry feline tries fruitlessly to attack 13-month-old Jack, who is wearing zebra-like black-and-white striped hoodie. Jack’s mother Heather Baltzor said that she did not intend to dress her son in resemblance to a wild animal, and had no clue as to why the beast was so attracted to her son. “We just thought it was hilarious,” Bal
Tallest man in U.S. seeking shoes, normalcy

May 4, 2012

Finding shoes for the tallest man in the U.S. takes more than a trip to the mall; more like a trip across the country.Igor Vovkovinskiy flew to Massachusetts on Thursday from Minnesota so shoe engineers at Reebok could try to custom build shoes strong enough to support has massive frame.He's 2.34-meter tall. Technicians estimate his shoe size at somewhere between a 22 and 25 _ sizes impossible to
Man falls through women's bathroom ceiling

May 4, 2012

A woman who went to use a Seattle Central Community College restroom says a man beat her to it -- by falling in through the ceiling. Joy Estill said around 11 a.m. Wednesday, a man smashed through the ceiling of the restroom. "My initial reaction was 'Do you need help?' -- I thought he was a worker," Estill told KOMO-TV, Seattle. "But then I realized he was not dressed like a worker doing labor; h
Pororo boosts Korea’s animation industry

May 3, 2012

South Korea’s animation industry has hardly seen any downtime, keeping rigorously busy for over two decades now. For many in the industry, putting the finishing touches on an episode of a world-famous cartoon is all in a day’s work.“The simplified version of the animation process for studios in the United States is pretty simple,” said Alex Ha, a 31-year-old native of San Francisco, California. “The main directors will draw the main drawings and everything else in between is drawn by the Korean
Philippines asks U.S. to provide maritme security equipment

May 3, 2012

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― The Philippines said Wednesday it has asked the United States to supply its armed forces with patrol boats and aircraft as well as radar systems amid an escalating territorial dispute with China.Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the hardware would help his country achieve a “minimum credible defense,” a phrase he used in unprecedented talks with senior U.S. officials in Washington earlier this week.“We need to know what’s going on around us. That’s maritime
Hamas says it’s holding talks with 5 EU countries

May 3, 2012

BEIRUT (AP) ― Hamas has been holding secret political talks with five European Union member states in recent months, a senior official in the Islamic militant group told the Associated Press on Wednesday.If confirmed, such talks would be a sign that the isolation of the Gaza-based Palestinian movement is easing in the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings that have brought Islamists to power in parts of the Middle East.The EU and the U.S consider Hamas a terror group and refuse to deal with it unles
Netanyahu’s coalition wants election on Sept. 4

May 3, 2012

JERUSALEM (AFP) ― Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition has tabled a motion to dissolve parliament and call an early general election on Sept. 4, coalition chairman Zeev Elkin said late on Wednesday.“I submitted the draft this morning,” he told Israeli public radio.“The consensus of most of the coalition parties and part of the opposition is that the election will take place on Sept. 4,” Elkin said. “That is the agreed date...a final decision will be taken on Sunday.”Netanyau on S
Sudan says it seeks peace with South

May 3, 2012

U.N. gives Sudan, South Sudan 48 hours to halt hostilitiesKHARTOUM (AFP) ― Khartoum on Thursday said it seeks peace with South Sudan and hopes the small country responds favorably to African Union and U.N. resolutions for ending hostilities.“The government of Sudan confirms her own strategic calls to have peace between the two states and it hopes the government of South Sudan gives a positive reaction to the African and U.N. Security Council resolutions,” the foreign ministry’s spokesman, Al-O
U.K. military prepare for ‘9/11-type attack’

May 3, 2012

LONDON (AFP) ― British military commanders said they were training to deal with a “9/11-type attack” as they launched a major exercise Wednesday to test their readiness for the 2012 London Olympics.As jet fighters took to the sky with nine weeks to go to the opening ceremony, the Olympic Park was getting its biggest try-out as the final wave of sporting test events got under way.Four Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon fighter jets flew into the British capital to herald the start of Exercise Olympic
Hollande stands firm in French presidential debate

May 3, 2012

PARIS (AP) ― French President Nicolas Sarkozy failed to deliver a knockout blow against leftist front-runner Francois Hollande in their only head-to-head debate in France’s presidential campaign, the last major hurdle just four days before Sunday’s election finale.Hollande ― an understated man whom many expected to wither under Sarkozy’s sharp attacks ― stood his ground, surprising some observers and even himself. But Wednesday’s much-awaited TV debate produced no outright winner, and appears un
Analysis: Obama has 2 narratives on Afghanistan

May 3, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) ― In President Barack Obama’s twin narratives, the United States is both leaving Afghanistan and staying there.The different messages are meant for different audiences, one at home and one away. As Obama’s brief, symbolic visit to Afghanistan on Wednesday made clear, the more important audience is American voters fed up with a war that will be in its 12th year on Election Day Nov. 6.The president flew in secret to sign a long-awaited security compact with Afghanistan. It was afte
Taiwan presidential guard shoots himself on duty

May 3, 2012

Officials say a soldier has fatally shot himself while standing guard at the front gate of Taiwan's presidential office building in downtown Taipei.he Defense Ministry said the 22-year-old soldier, surnamed Kao, shot himself in the chest before dawn Thursday. It said fellow guards witnessed the incident but were not able to intervene.Officials said President Ma Ying-jeou was not at the office buil
Twin sisters’ squabble over single pacifier becomes huge hit online

May 3, 2012

A pair of baby twins became overnight celebrities on YouTube after a video of them sharing a single pacifier was posted by their mother. Lily and Diana, identical 9-month-olds, pull off an adorable double act as they take turns yanking a single pacifier out of each other’s mouths. After their mother Lauren Seger posted the video on YouTube, it attracted more than 400,000 viewers. From news report <관련 한글 기사> ‘공갈젖꼭지’ 쟁탈전 영상, 네티즌 대폭소! 한살 배기 쌍둥이 자매가 공갈젖꼭지 하나를 두고 옥신각신하는